New option for cold air to our intakes

[CobraJohn]

I wanted to provide more exterior air to my Airaid inlet by opening up the grill, but did not want to have moisture come in from an opening directly in front of the Airaid opening.

After studying the grill I opted to open my grill up in the center so there is a little offset to prevent moisture while allowing frontal air while driving to enter the grill and its symmetrical.

I took one picture with a light behind it so it shows the opening better, then another picture without the light and you can hardly tell the grill has been cut open.

The mod was fairly simple, by removing the top 10mm bolts and two push pins on the top of the grill, I pulled it slightly forward and had ample room to cut out the opening from the back side as there is a large area where the hood latch is which was plenty of room to get my Dremel in.

Next mod is to seal off the engine heat from the top of the Airaid air box as Airaid provided a seal that does not seal to the underside of the hood.

 

[Harley#356]

Looks good! I need to perform this mod one of these days!

 

[CobraJohn]

I experimented last night with some flexible 1/2" rubberized foam and wrapped my AirAid air box perimeter and had it protrud upwards about 4" above the box.

Drove the vehicle to get engine temps up, popped the hood and unscientifically touched several areas of the engine bay and they were warm to the touch while the inside of the air box was not warm at all.

Will check again when I get my hands on a digital thermometer.

I will attest I was surprised at the amount of heat difference.

 

[bigmoose15]

A little more work and you'll be near the temps of the stock air box. I did some testing comparing the stock airbox to an open system similar to the Airaid. As expected the stock temp were way better than the open system by a ton. The stock box was measuring ambient intake temps when cruising. It would rise up to +20 when in traffic but would drop shorty after moving again.

The stock box temps were the same as a custom fab'd true cold air intake I made that routes the intake pipe directly into the fender where I have my filter. I don't feel any performance difference, but the sound of the true CAI is way better than the stock box.

 

[CobraJohn]

I put a temporary wrap around the outside of the Airaid intake to keep engine bay heat out, drove the Sport to get the temps up and then checked the temps on the "outside of the intake box" and then the "inside of the box"......see pics below showing 19.1 degrees cooler inside the wrap.

It appears the Airaid filter has better direct air from the inlet through the grill area as opposed to the stock peatrap inlet tube with two (2) unnecessary 90 degree turns and I believe the Airaid Air filter breaths better than the stock paper filter.

Add to that the additional cooler air let inside grill area via the grill mod which directly forces air into the grill chamber......it is definitely breathing better and cooler.

IMO

 

[Sgt1411]

These guys seem to have tested the addition of a CAI and the results aren't promising.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCi2yo4UqPI&sns=em

 

[adamantium]

Not totally convinced with the video. R34 Skyline is a performance model. It's intake was probably already optimized from the factory for power. I don't really consider an open element filter with a heat shield in the engine bay a cold air intake. An intake that pulls from outside the engine bay, like their last test, would be a true cold air intake which did show gains. Not saying everyone should stick a hose with a filter taped to the end through their headlights, lol, but rather one that mounts somewhere in the fender or behind the front bumper away from the engine bay. The Explorer air box I'm sure could use some improvements and was never designed for performance. It seems Ford uses the same air box for all 3 engine options ( 2.0t, 3.5, 3.5tt ) ,who knows how many other platforms, which helps cost but is not optimized for each engine air flow characteristics.

 

[Ryan327]

I'd give the test an "A" for effort, but if you know much about airflow they you'll know the biggest restrictions are bends and laminar flow. There is only so much you can do about bends, but making multiple small radius turns are better then one 90 degree bend.

And smoother is better for velocity and turbulence....adding a 6 foot corrugated tube is hurting more then it's helping by dropping the temps.

 

[Nightcrew]

These guys seem to have tested the addition of a CAI and the results aren't promising.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCi2yo4UqPI&sns=em

I love Mighty Car Mods!!!

and yes; smoothed intake can help with horsepower, but only way to get real additions is getting the actual pickup outside of the engine bay or by producing a ram air effect which only works on nat/asp. motors

 

[CobraJohn]

So the documented 20* drop in temp inside my intake box by putting a taller shield around my airbox is not worth the 5 minutes it took to putting it on?

Then there's the argument that the stock airbox is already sealed and probably has the same 20* lower temp than the open Airaid poorly designed seal.

My counter to the stock airbox is that the Airaid filter flows much better than the stock filter.

Couple the improved seal I created with the better flowing filter with opening the grill up and bringing in cool air is the best of both options.

 

[Nightcrew]

So the documented 20* drop in temp inside my intake box by putting a taller shield around my airbox is not worth the 5 minutes it took to putting it on?

Then there's the argument that the stock airbox is already sealed and probably has the same 20* lower temp than the open Airaid poorly designed seal.

My counter to the stock airbox is that the Airaid filter flows much better than the stock filter.

Couple the improved seal I created with the better flowing filter with opening the grill up and bringing in cool air is the best of both options.

Ill agree that what you did is an improvement over stock yes; but i would like to see a manufacturer design an intake that doesnt need bandaids...

 

[CobraJohn]

I agree with that. I am very disappointed in Airaids seal. It does not seal. I don't like band aids either, but already own the air box and just doing what I can to keep temps down. I've tested my seal several times and it consistently is around 20* cooler inside my box now.

Now I need to make my band aid a little more permanent.

 

[Nightcrew]

I agree with that. I am very disappointed in Airaids seal. It does not seal. I don't like band aids either, but already own the air box and just doing what I can to keep temps down. I've tested my seal several times and it consistently is around 20* cooler inside my box now.

Now I need to make my band aid a little more permanent.

How much better over stock do you think the airflow is with the airaid? Do you think that the flow is only necessary with the turbo and not the n/a?

 

[Downstrike]

Cobra, do you have a video of what it sounds like outside the car? Im just curious the difference in sound from stock, how much more audible the turbo is.